The political scenario of Malaysia has experienced significant changes in recent years, marked by the rise of Islamic -oriented parties.
Although it is one of the most ethnic countries in Southeast Asia, an increase in the public disruptive faction with the alleged liberal agenda of the ruling coalition, which is a significant challenge to hold Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s power.
Opposition Pericon National (PN), or National Alliance, alliance-one five-fate group including the Malaysian Islamic Party (Parti Islam SE Malaysia, or PAS), who are gaining popularity and electoral ground in the last decade.
For amazing electoral success in the 2023 state elections, 146 out of 245 competition seats, and governments form governments in many states.
Those elections marked a significant turn point as they strengthened the control of PN in the northern and east coast states and demonstrated its growing impact, which was distinctive among the youth and more conservative Malay voters.
A green wave?
The PAS includes governments such as Calonon, Teranganu, Kedah and Parlis, pushed to align with its conservative Islamic ideology, which includes efforts to implement Hudood (Islamic Criminal Law), implement strict dress code and promote sex segregation in public space.
Some often call it a “green wave”, which shows a bounce in support of conservative Islamic policies.
“Malaysia has always been a conservative society that practices liberal. Islam is at the center of our national identity. Therefore, catching on the Islamic value, or shaping the ideals of the society is nothing new,” Van Saiful Van and MP told DW.
But Van Jan said that there is an effort by “something” to reduce the impact of identity in shaping the country’s multi -intelligent and multi -level history, heritage and policies.
“The Anwar Ibrahim administration is using the so -called ‘Islamization’ as a bogman, who is a bogman to face his failure for governance and improvement. We should not allow this facade to create a mask that is to create the real problem that we have, which is an incompetent administration,” He said.
The rise of political Islam is a challenge
Malaysia is a multi-regular, Muslim-dominated country which is home to three major ethnic groups: Malay, Chinese and Indian.
Ethnic Malaysian makes a majority of over 35 million people in the country, accounting for a population of about 60%. While ethnic sugar makes about a quarter, ethnic Indians account for about 7% of the population.
Community is co -existed in relative peace and harmony, but racial, cultural and religious stress. Ethnic division has been complicated by decades of policies in favor of politically prominent Malaysian.
While Anwar’s government has not openly adopted the PAS brand of the religious conjunctum, his administration’s actions, reinforcing Islamic regime structures and engaging in Islamic advocacy, indicate the growing political power of a intentional response response.
However, due to Anwar’s Parliamentary majority, not for immediate threat to the existence of its government, the impact of PAS is a long -term threat to their political agenda and re -election opportunities.
James Chin, a professor at Asian studies at the University of Tasmania and an expert in Southeast Asia, said that the rise of political Islam is the biggest challenge before Malaysia, which is to come for more now.
Chin told DW, “Islamists have a humble subject to set up a lot of Islamic religious schools to brainwash young Malaysian … Originally teaching them is the answer to everything.”
He said, “They are important that they want to move away from the state curriculum and establish their courses, which basically teach them Islam, political Islam and anything,” he said.
But according to Chin, the more worrying reason for creeping Islamization, the failure of the existing Malay Muslim political parties is the failure to develop Malaysia and provide good jobs and high quality education.
“Therefore, the young Malaysians are disillusioned with the current system, so they turn to Islam. The message is being sent. If you have an Islamic form of political system or Islamic rule, it will disappear corruption and you will have a chance in life,” he underlined.
“In the coming years, Malaysia wants to go more conservative and will have more bureaucratization of Islam.”
Support for maximum Islamization of society
However, it is not clear whether PN politicians are inspired by real religious beliefs or are using religion as a deliberate tool to get political gains.
The government’s approach is often in the form of “Madani,” or liberal Islam, but some Oberver say that there is very little practice difference between policies and opposition on major religious issues.
And there are indications that a large section of Malay-Muslim voters supports maximum Islamization of the society, which are implications for the welfare of other ethnic groups in the country of Koil.
For example, the 2023 Pew Research Center Survey found that 86% Muslim Malaysians favor Sharia to enact an official law.Whereas 65% say that the Quran should influence the Malaysian law on a large deal.
An analysis of the Nordic Counter-Terrorism Network, a non-Pakistani think tank found that several radical Islamic groups located in Europe are planning to transfer their operations to Malaysia.
Network director Adren Raj said, “Foreign Islamist fundamentalists are converting into Malaysia as they are aware of the country’s weak policies in combating bigotry.” Today free MalaysiaAn online news portal last week. He said that the current government policies have failed to address the symptoms and root causes of religious fanaticism.
Only political posture?
A politician who was previously a member of the Democratic Action Party (DAP), he told DW that the push for Islamization in Malaysia is often a tool for “political posture and quickness” and would not cut snow in a long time.
“There is a lot of fearmongiiring that is getting late to strengthen power. Opportunistic use of religious rhetoric during the election period or political crisis is a strategy by political parties to cook more votes,” Keong said.
Shah Hakim Zain, a prominent Malaysian businessman, echoed similar feelings. “This ‘Green Wave’ is a political posture. When political parties are a weak wicket or uncertain, they turn to religion,” said Heer.
Edited by: Srinivas Majumdaru
